TW201901743A - Mask assembly, apparatus and method for edge treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a mask assembly, an apparatus and a method for edge treatment. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a roplat having a rotatable assembly, and a platen coupled to the rotatable assembly, wherein the platen is configured to hold a workpiece. The apparatus further includes a bracket affixed to the rotatable assembly, and a mask directly coupled to the bracket, wherein the mask is positioned adjacent the workpiece. The mask covers an inner portion of the platen and the workpiece, leaving just an outer circumferential edge of the workpiece exposed to an ion treatment. In some embodiments, the platen is permitted to rotate relative to the bracket during an ion treatment. In some embodiments, the mask includes a solid plate section devoid of any openings, and a mounting portion extending from the plate section, wherein the mounting portion is directly coupled to an extension arm of the bracket.

Description

Fixed position mask for workpiece edge processing

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for selectively processing workpieces and, more particularly, to methods of selectively processing external portions of semiconductor workpieces using fixed position masks.

The increase in yield of semiconductor devices is a continuing goal. One aspect of the improvement is the uniformity of processing throughout the workpiece in the radial direction. In some processes, the workpiece can receive more processing near the center of the workpiece. For example, the deposition process can deposit more material near the center of the workpiece than near the outer edge of the workpiece. This can be attributed to the increased plasma density near the center of the deposition chamber.

As another example, the heated implant can provide a different amount near the outer edge since the outer edge of the workpiece may be somewhat cooler than the rest of the workpiece. In yet another example, since the centripetal force of the coating is pushed toward the outer edge of the workpiece, the spin coating process can retain more material near the outer edge of the workpiece than the center of the workpiece.

In these examples, processing non-uniformities in the radial direction can adversely affect the yield of the semiconductor workpiece. In some cases, efforts have been made to improve the uniformity of processing. However, there may be limits to the extent of uniformity obtained.

In accordance with these and other considerations, the present disclosure is provided.

In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for selectively processing only the outer portion of a workpiece using a fixed position mask to improve processing uniformity.

In one embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure, an apparatus can include a roplat having a rotatable assembly, and a platen and bracket coupled to the rotatable assembly, wherein the platen is configured to hold the workpiece. The device can further include a mask that is directly coupled to the bracket. The mask is positioned adjacent to the platen, wherein the mask covers the inner portion of the platen such that the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed for ion processing.

In another embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure, the mask assembly can include a bracket attached to the rotatable assembly of the deck and the mask is directly coupled to the bracket. The mask is positioned adjacent to a platen capable of supporting a workpiece, wherein the mask covers an interior portion of the workpiece such that only the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed for ion processing.

In yet another embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure, a method can include providing a platen coupled to a rotatable assembly of a platen configured to hold a workpiece. The method can further include providing a bracket attached to the rotatable assembly and then positioning the mask adjacent to the platen. The mask is directly coupled to the carrier, wherein the mask covers the inner portion of the platen and the workpiece such that only the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed for ion processing.

The present embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. The subject matter of the present disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and is not construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the scope of the subject matter will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same elements.

An element or operation recited in the singular and "a" or "an" In addition, various embodiments herein have been described in the context of one or more elements or elements. An element or element can include any structure that is arranged to perform certain operations. Although embodiments may be described by way of example as having a limited number of elements in a certain topology, the embodiments may still include more or fewer elements in the alternative topology as needed for a given implementation. It is noted that any reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular component, structure or feature described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", and "in various embodiments" are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a fixed position mask for workpiece edge processing. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a roplat having a rotatable assembly, and a platen coupled to the rotatable assembly, wherein the platen is configured to hold the workpiece. The device further includes a bracket attached to the rotatable assembly and a mask coupled directly to the bracket. The mask is positioned adjacent to the platen, and wherein the mask covers the platen and the inner portion of the workpiece such that only the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed. In some embodiments, the platen is permitted to rotate relative to the carriage during ion treatment (eg, implantation or sputtering). In some embodiments, the mask includes a solid plate that does not have any openings, and a mounting portion that extends from the plate portion, wherein the mounting portion is directly coupled to the extension arm of the bracket.

The apparatus and method of the present disclosure permits selective implantation of only the outer portion/workpiece of the workpiece. The mask is placed between the ion beam and the workpiece and is slightly smaller than the workpiece. The mask is attached to the central section of the deck by a bracket such that the platen is arbitrarily rotated between the loading/unloading position and the operating position without moving the mask. In some embodiments, the mask and/or bracket are shaped so as not to interfere with the rotation of the platen. In other embodiments, the mask can be attached to the arms of the platen.

The outer portion of the workpiece/workpiece may be a loop, wherein the outer dimension of the loop is the perimeter of the workpiece. For example, if the workpiece has a diameter of 300 mm, the loop may have an outer diameter of 300 mm and an inner diameter slightly smaller than 300 mm. The width of the loop may be tens of millimeters, or may be only a few millimeters. In other words, the width of the loop can vary and is not limited by the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the assembly further includes a processing element, such as a computing device, that is part of the device. The processing element can be in positional communication with an imaging device (eg, a video or still camera) to accurately position the workpiece within the set accuracy window relative to the mask. For example, the processing element is configured to receive location data from the imaging device to calculate a mask center. The center of the workpiece is calculated separately and then the workpiece is introduced into the top of the platen, below the mask, by aligning the center of the mask with the center of the workpiece.

Referring now to Figure 1, an example beamline ion implantation system 100 for performing selective processing of an outer portion of a workpiece in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail. As illustrated, beamline ion implantation system 100 can include an ion source and a series of beamline assemblies through which the ion beam passes. The ion source can include an ion source chamber 102 that produces ions. The ion source can also include a power source 101 and an extraction electrode 104 disposed adjacent the ion source chamber 102. The extraction electrode 104 may include a suppression electrode 104a and a ground electrode 104b. The ion source chamber 102, the suppression electrode 104a, and the ground electrode 104b may include apertures. The ion source chamber 102 can include an extraction aperture (not shown), the suppression electrode 104a can include an suppression electrode aperture (not shown), and the ground electrode 104b can include a ground electrode aperture (not shown). The apertures may be in communication with each other to allow ions generated in the ion source chamber 102 to pass through and toward the beamline assembly.

The beamline element can include, for example, a quality analyzer 106, a first acceleration or deceleration stage 108, a collimator 110, and a second acceleration or deceleration stage 112. Much like a series of optical lenses that manipulate the beam, the beamline component filters, focuses, and manipulates the ion or ion beam 120. The ion beam 120 passing through the beamline element can be directed to a workpiece 125 (also referred to as a "wafer") mounted on a platen 116 or jig of the assembly 130. The workpiece 125 is movable in one or more dimensions through a device (hereinafter referred to as a "platen"). The platen can be configured to rotate the workpiece 125 about a center point of the workpiece 125 and move the workpiece 125 such that the ion beam 120 is directed to a particular region of the workpiece 125 and/or the entire workpiece 125.

For example, ion beam 120 can be directed to workpiece 125 such that ion beam 120 extends through workpiece 125 to form a geometric line called a chord. The ion beam 120 can be a ribbon ion beam that is much longer than the width. For example, the length of the ion beam 120 can be hundreds of millimeters, and the width of the ion beam 120 can be about ten millimeters. The ion beam 20 can be straight along the length. Of course, other sizes can also be used and are within the scope of the present disclosure.

Turning now to Figures 2 through 3, the assembly 130 for selectively processing the outer portion of the workpiece in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail. The assembly 130 includes a platen 132 that includes a base 134 that is coupled to two upwardly extending side arms 136 that are spaced apart from each other. The rotatable assembly 140 is disposed in a position between the side arms 136 and is rotatably coupled to the side arms 136. More specifically, the central block 142 of the rotatable assembly 140 is coupled between the side arms 136. A platen 116 is provided to hold a workpiece (not shown) that is coupled to the central block 142 by a platen adapter plate 144 coupled to the mounting plate 145, wherein the platen adapter plate 144 supports the platen 116. In some embodiments, the platen 116 can be an electrostatic chuck that can hold the workpiece in place by the use of electrostatic forces. A first motor (not shown) can be disposed within the rotatable assembly 140 to allow the platen 116 to rotate/spin about the axis 146, wherein the axis 146 is perpendicular to the plane of the platen 116 and passes through the center of the platen 116.

A second motor (not shown) can be disposed within the platen 132, such as within the central block 142 or within the side arms 136. The second electric motor allows the rotatable assembly 140 to rotate about the second axis 149. The second axis 149 can be level and oriented perpendicular to the axis 146. The rotatable assembly 140 can be capable of rotating at least 90°. For example, the platen 132 has a first position shown in FIG. 2, referred to as a loading/unloading position, wherein the rotatable assembly 140 is oriented such that the platen 116 is level or substantially level. While in this loading/unloading position, the workpiece can be placed on the platen 116 and, after processing, can then be removed from the platen 116. The platen 132 also has a second position, shown in Figure 3, referred to as an operational position, wherein the rotatable assembly 140 is oriented such that the platen 116 is vertical or substantially vertical. In this operational position, the platen 116 and the clamped workpiece face the ion beam 120 directed to the platen 116. In other words, when the platen 132 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, the plane formed by the surface 151 of the platen 116 is perpendicular to the ion beam 120.

The assembly 130 further includes a bracket 154 that is attached to the central block 142 of the rotatable assembly 140 and a mask 155 that is directly coupled to the bracket 154. As illustrated, the mask 155 is positioned adjacent to the platen 116 to cover the platen 116 and the inner portion 156 of the workpiece such that the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed to the ion beam 120 during ion processing. The mask 155 can be supported in a position away from the platen 116 by a mounting portion 160 coupled to the bracket 154, as will be described in more detail below. The mask 155 can attach the platen 116 to the bracket 154 in any manner that rotates about the axis 146 and the second axis 149 without contacting the mask 155 or bracket 154. Mask 155 and bracket 154 may together form a mask assembly 157.

In various embodiments, the mask 155 is a sheet of solid material (eg, graphite, aluminum, or other suitable material) that does not contain any openings formed therethrough to block ions from reaching the central region of the workpiece. In the operational position shown in FIG. 3, the ion beam 120 is directed to the workpiece and permits only the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece exposed by the mask 155 to be processed/impacted. To process/implant the entire outer portion of the workpiece, the platen 116 rotates about the axis 146 as the ion beam 120 is directed toward the platen 132.

The amount implanted into the outer portion of the workpiece can be controlled in a variety of ways. For example, in one embodiment, the rotational speed of the platen 116 about the axis 146 is set to achieve the amount to be implanted in only one revolution. The rotational speed can be determined based on the pre-measured ion beam current. For example, the calibration process can be performed prior to performing the processing steps. During this calibration, the beam current can be measured by using a Faraday cup. Based on the measured ion beam current, the rotational speed of the platen 116 can be determined. As stated above, in certain embodiments, the rotational speed is measured to implant the desired amount during one rotation of the platen 116. In other embodiments, however, the rotational speed can be determined in conjunction with the desired number of rotations of the platen. For example, if the workpiece is implanted during two rotations, the platen 116 can be rotated at twice the angular velocity.

In certain embodiments, the platen 116 can be rotatable about the axis 146 over a range of slightly greater than 360°. As such, multiple rotations can be achieved by first first rotating the platen 116 in a first direction, such as clockwise. A second rotation is then performed in a second, opposite direction, counterclockwise. This alternating pattern can be repeated for the number of rotations required.

Turning now to Figures 4 through 5, a bracket 154 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail. For ease of viewing, FIG. 4 shows an assembly 130 that removes the mask 155, the platen 116, and the platen adapter plate 144. As illustrated, the bracket 154 includes a body 164 and a central opening 166 formed through the body 164. The central opening 166 is sized to enclose a mounting plate 145 that is coupled to the central block 142 of the rotatable assembly 140. A plurality of fastener openings 170 are provided around the central opening 166 for securing the body 164 to the central block 142.

As further shown, the bracket 154 includes an extension arm 172 that extends from the body 164. The extension arm 172 can extend laterally away from the body 164, for example, in a direction parallel to the second axis 149. In some embodiments, the extension arm 172 extends beyond one of the side arms 136 to accommodate the size of the workpiece/platen used. The extension arm 172 further includes a support wall 174 at the outer end that is generally oriented perpendicular to the body 164 (eg, along the axis 146). As illustrated, the support wall 174 has a height 'H' to separate the mask 155 from the workpiece and the platen 116. In some embodiments, the support wall 174 has a flange 176 that includes a plurality of openings 177 formed therein to receive a set of fasteners for coupling the support wall 174 to the mask 155 (not shown) ). In some embodiments, the bracket 154 has only one extension arm 172 and a support wall 174 that contacts the mask 155 at a single point. By minimizing the number of support members that couple the bracket and the mask, more peripheral circumferential edges of the workpiece can be simultaneously impacted by ion treatment.

The rotatable assembly 140 can further include a link 178 that couples the central block 142 to the platen adapter plate 144 and to the platen 116 (Figs. 1-3). Link 178 extends along axis 146 and passes through mounting plate 145 and bracket 154. In some embodiments, keying component 180 can be coupled to and extend from link 178. Keying component 180 can be three pointed assemblies that can be nested within corresponding channels (not shown) in platen 116 to better transfer torque from link 178 to platen 116.

Turning now to Figure 6, a mask 155 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail. As illustrated, the mask 155 can include a plate portion 182 and a mounting portion 160 that extends from the plate portion 182. Mounting portion 160 is directly coupled to support wall 174 of extension arm 172 (Fig. 5). As illustrated, the plate portion 182 is generally circular to correspond to the shape of the workpiece 125. In other embodiments, the plate portion 182 can take any of a variety of other shapes. As illustrated, the plate portion 182 is smaller than the workpiece 125 to permit the outer circumferential edge 185 of the workpiece 125 to be exposed by the plate portion 182 to be impacted by ion treatment such as ion implantation and/or ion sputtering. In other words, the radius 'r1' of the plate portion 182 is smaller/shorter than the radius 'r2' of the platen and/or the workpiece 125. In some embodiments, r2 is between 2 mm and 20 mm longer than r1. As illustrated, the mounting portion 160 can cover a section of the outer circumferential edge 185. In some embodiments, the mounting portion 160 covers less than 20% of the outer circumferential edge 185 to allow ions to strike the outer circumferential edge 185 as much as possible. During processing, rotating the platen/workpiece 125 relative to the mask 155 permits all of the outer circumferential edges 185 to be treated equally or substantially equally by the ion beam 120 (Fig. 3). In some embodiments, the workpiece 125 may remain on the platen during all processing without having to be removed.

Turning now to Figure 7, an assembly 230 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail. As illustrated, the assembly 230 includes a platen 232, such as the platen 132 described above. As such, for the sake of brevity, only certain aspects of the platen 232 will be described below. The assembly 230 further includes one or more imaging devices 210, such as a camera or still camera, to ensure proper alignment between the mask 255 of the platen 232 and the workpiece 225. The imaging device 210 can be mounted adjacent to a window containing a chamber (not shown) of the platen 232. One or more light sources can be coupled to the chamber to enable imaging device 210 to adequately capture positional information of the elements of platen 232. For example, in one non-limiting embodiment, imaging device 210 can be mounted adjacent to the top chamber window while coupling the light source to the chamber door containing the window.

In some embodiments, assembly 230 further includes processing elements 224, such as computing devices, that are part of device 228. Processing component 224 is in communication with imaging device 210 for position and dimension data 231 to accurately position workpiece 225 relative to mask 255 within the set accuracy window. For example, processing component 224 is configured to identify visual attributes of workpiece 225 and mask 255, including but not limited to appearance, color, texture, gradient, edge detection, motion characteristics, shape, spatial position, and the like. Based on these attributes of the location and dimension data 231, the processing component 224 is configured to calculate the mask center 255. The workpiece center 225 can be separately calculated and then the workpiece 225 can be introduced into the top of the platen 216, below the mask 255, by aligning the mask center 255 with the workpiece center 225. In some embodiments, the center of the platen 216 can also be calculated separately, with the workpiece 225 first aligned with the center of the platen 216 prior to alignment with the mask 255. The position and dimension data 231 of the mask 255, workpiece 225, and/or platen 216 may be stored in storage device 233.

In the exemplary embodiment, mask 255 remains attached to bracket 254 while manipulating workpiece 225 into position. Once the workpiece 225 is placed atop the platen 216, the imaging device 210 can again observe the mask 255 relative to, for example, by measuring the distance between the edge of the mask 255 and the edge of the workpiece 225 at a plurality of points along the perimeter of the workpiece 225. The position of the workpiece 225. Processing component 224 can then send an instruction to the ion source of ion implantation system 100 (FIG. 1) to transmit ion beam 120 to platen 232.

It should be appreciated that device 228 can be any electronic device capable of receiving, processing, and transmitting information for accurately positioning workpiece 225 relative to mask 255. Examples of electronic devices may include, without limitation, a computer, a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a laptop, a notebook, a netbook, a handheld computer, a tablet, a server, a server array, or a servo. Clusters, web servers, web servers, internet servers, and workstations. Examples of electronic devices may also include large computers, supercomputers, networking devices, web appliances, distributed computing systems, and multiprocessor systems. Examples of electronic devices may also include processor-based systems, wireless access points, base stations, subscriber stations, radio network controllers, routers, hubs, gateways, bridges, switches, machines, or combinations thereof. Embodiments herein are not limited in this context.

Device 228 can use processing element 224 to perform processing operations or logic. Processing component 224 can include various hardware components, software components, or a combination of hardware/software. Examples of hardware components can include devices, logic devices, components, processors, microprocessors, circuits, processor circuits, circuit components (eg, transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.), integrated circuits, dedicated An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and a programmable logic device (PLD). Examples of the hardware component may further include a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a memory unit, a logic gate, a register, a semiconductor device, a chip, and a micro Wafers, wafer sets, and the like. Examples of software components may include software components, programs, applications, computer programs, applications, system programs, software development programs, machine programs, operating system software, mediation software, firmware, software modules, routines, sub-families, and functions. . Examples of software components can also include methods, programs, software interfaces, application program interfaces (APIs), instruction sets, calculation code, computer code, code segments, computer code segments, words, values, symbols, or Any combination. Determining whether an embodiment uses hardware components and/or software components to implement a given embodiment requires changes based on a number of factors, such as rate, power level, heat resistance, processing cycle budget, input data rate, output data. Rate, memory resources, data bus rate, and other design or performance limitations.

In some embodiments, device 228 can use communication elements (not shown) to perform communication operations or position determination. The communication component can implement any recognized communication technology and protocol, such as a technology suitable for use with a packet switched network (e.g., a public network such as the Internet, a private network such as an intranet, etc.). The technologies and protocols can be further adapted to circuit switched networks (such as public switched telephone networks) or packet switched networks to circuit switched networks (with suitable gateways and converters). The communication component can include different types of standard communication components, such as one or more communication interfaces, a network interface, a network interface card (NIC), a radio, a wireless transmitter/receiver (transceiver), wired, and/or Wireless communication media, physical connectors, and more. Communication media may comprise wired communication media and wireless communication media by way of example and not limitation. Examples of wired communication media can include wires, cables, metal leads, printed circuit boards (PCBs), backplanes, switch structures, semiconductor materials, twisted pair wires, coaxial cables, fiber optics, propagated signals, and the like. . Examples of wireless communication media may include acoustic waves, radio frequency (RF) spectrum, infrared, and other wireless media. Device 228 can communicate with other devices (not shown) via the cloud. In some embodiments, storage device 233 includes volatile or non-volatile memory that includes a set of instructions for operating processing element 224.

Turning now to Figure 8, a logical process flow 300 for providing workpiece edge processing in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail. At 301, the robotic arm containing the workpiece extends to a position below the camera for position and dimensional data observation and extraction. At 303, the center of the workpiece is measured using a camera. At 305, the arm position is adjusted to place the workpiece in the calculated center of the platen. At 307, a determination is made as to whether the arm position is correct. If the arm position is not correct, measure the center of the workpiece again. If the arm is in the correct position, then at 309, the workpiece is placed on the platen and the arms are closed/removed. At 311, the camera sends data to the processing element to verify that the workpiece is properly centered relative to the center of the mask and/or the center of the platen. At 313, a determination is made as to whether the workpiece is properly centered. If the workpiece is not properly centered, then at 315, the arm removes the workpiece from the platen. If the center of the workpiece is correct, the positioning of the workpiece relative to the mask is satisfied and the processing of the workpiece can begin.

Turning now to Figure 9, a logical process flow 400 for providing workpiece edge processing in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail. At 401, a platen is coupled to the rotatable assembly of the platen, the platen configured to hold the workpiece. In some embodiments, the platen can include a base coupled to two upwardly extending side arms that are spaced apart from one another. The rotatable assembly is rotatably attached to the side arms. The central block of the rotatable assembly is coupled between the side arms. A platen is provided to hold the workpiece, the platen being coupled to the central block by a platen adapter plate coupled to the mounting plate, wherein the platen adapter plate supports the platen.

At 403, a bracket attached to the rotatable assembly is provided. In some embodiments, the bracket includes a body and a central opening 166 formed through the body. The central opening is sized to enclose a mounting plate that is coupled to the central block of the rotatable assembly. A plurality of fastener openings are provided around the centrally open bracket for securing the body to the central block. The bracket further includes an extension arm extending from the body. The extension arms can extend laterally away from the body, for example in a direction parallel to the second axis. The extension arm further includes a support wall at the outer end, the support wall being generally oriented perpendicular to the body, wherein the support wall is directly coupled to the mask.

At 405, the mask is positioned adjacent to the platen, wherein the mask covers an interior portion of the platen such that only the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed. In some embodiments, the mask is directly coupled to the carrier. The mask may be supported in a position away from the platen by a mounting portion coupled to the bracket, wherein the mounting portion extends from the plate portion of the mask. In an exemplary embodiment, the mask may be attached to the bracket in a manner that allows the platen to rotate arbitrarily without contacting the mask or bracket.

At 407, the center of the mask and the center of the workpiece are measured. In some embodiments, an imaging device, such as a camera, can be used to determine the center of the mask and the center of the workpiece. In some embodiments, the imaging device operates with a processing element. Next, at 409, the workpiece is positioned between the mask and the platen with the center of the mask aligned with the center of the workpiece.

At 411, the imaging device and processing element can verify that the mask center is aligned with the center of the workpiece using the imaging device. At 413, ion processing to expose an outer circumferential edge of the workpiece can be performed as the workpiece and platen rotate relative to the mask and the carrier.

In general, the embodiments described herein can have many advantages. As described above, many semiconductor processes exhibit some non-uniformity in the radial direction. The methods described herein advantageously provide a way to selectively treat the outer portion of the workpiece to compensate for and/or counteract these inhomogeneities. Moreover, certain embodiments described above advantageously include a camera that is proximate to, for example, a platen mounted on a top processing chamber window. The camera operates with the software of the processing element to determine the center of the workpiece and the mask. Once the workpiece is on the robot arm, the processing element compares the real position to the ideal position and makes any ideal position correction. Can achieve placement accuracy of +-0.5 mm or better.

The scope of the disclosure should not be limited by the specific embodiments described herein. In addition, other various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in Accordingly, such other embodiments and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure has been described in the context of specific embodiments in a particular environment for a particular use. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that usefulness is not limited in this regard, and that the present disclosure may be advantageously implemented in a variety of environments for a variety of uses. Therefore, the scope of the claims set forth below should be understood in view of the full breadth and spirit of the disclosure as described herein.

100‧‧‧beamline ion implantation system

101‧‧‧Power supply

102‧‧‧Ion source chamber

104‧‧‧Extraction electrode

104a‧‧‧Suppression electrode

104b‧‧‧Ground electrode

106‧‧‧Quality Analyzer

108‧‧‧First acceleration or deceleration table

110‧‧ ‧collimator

112‧‧‧Second acceleration or deceleration table

116, 216‧‧‧ pressure plate

120‧‧‧Ion Beam

125, 225‧‧‧ workpiece

130, 230‧‧‧assemblies

132, 232‧‧‧ board

134‧‧‧Base

136‧‧‧ side arm

140‧‧‧Rotatable assembly

142‧‧‧Central Block

144‧‧‧ platen adapter plate

145‧‧‧Installation board

146‧‧‧ axis

149‧‧‧second axis

151‧‧‧ surface

154, 254‧‧‧ bracket

155, 255‧‧‧ mask

156‧‧‧ internal part

157‧‧‧ mask assembly

160‧‧‧Installation section

164‧‧‧ Subject

166‧‧‧ center opening

170‧‧‧Fixed parts opening

172‧‧‧Extension arm

174‧‧‧Support wall

176‧‧‧Flange

177‧‧‧ openings

178‧‧‧ Connecting rod

180‧‧‧Key control parts

182‧‧‧ board section

185‧‧‧External circumferential edge

210‧‧‧ imaging device

224‧‧‧Processing components

228‧‧‧ device

231‧‧‧Location and dimension data

233‧‧‧Storage device

300, 400‧‧‧ logical processing flow

301, 303, 305, 307, 309, 311, 313, 315 ‧ ‧ processes

401, 403, 405, 407, 409, 411, 413 ‧ ‧ processes

H‧‧‧ Height

R1, r2‧‧‧ radius

The example methods of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practical application of the principles of the present disclosure, which is illustrated as follows: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ion implantation system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 4 is a front elevational view illustrating a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a top plan view illustrating a mask and a workpiece in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart for performing a method in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 illustrates a flow chart for performing a method in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are merely representations, and are not intended to depict specific parameters of the disclosure. The illustrations are intended to depict example embodiments of the present disclosure and are not to be considered as limiting. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same elements.

Claims (15)

An apparatus comprising: a platen comprising a rotatable assembly; a platen and a bracket coupled to the rotatable assembly, the platen configured to hold a workpiece; and a mask coupled directly to the bracket, wherein The mask is positioned adjacent to the platen to cover an interior portion of the workpiece and expose only an outer circumferential edge of the workpiece for ion processing. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable assembly comprises: a central block supported by a side arm, the central block including a mounting plate; and a platen adapter plate coupled to the mounting a plate, the platen adapter plate supporting the platen. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the bracket surrounds the mounting plate. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable assembly further comprises a link coupling the central block to the platen adapter plate, wherein the link extends through the mounting a plate and the bracket. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the link permits rotation of the platen relative to the mounting plate and relative to the bracket. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises: a body; a central opening formed through the body; an extension arm extending from the body, the extension arm comprising a body perpendicular to the body Oriented support walls. The device of claim 6, wherein the body is attached directly to the rotatable assembly. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mask comprises: a plate portion without any opening; and a mounting portion extending from the plate portion, wherein the mounting portion is directly coupled to the extension The support wall of the arm. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an imaging device adjacent to the platen; a processing component in communication with the imaging device, the processing component operable to: be based on transmitting through the imaging device The obtained position and dimension data are used to calculate the center of the mask and the center of the workpiece; and enable the center of the mask to be aligned with the center of the workpiece. A mask assembly comprising: a bracket, a rotatable assembly attached to the deck; and a mask coupled directly to the bracket, wherein the mask is positioned adjacent to a pressure plate supporting the workpiece, and Wherein the mask covers an interior portion of the workpiece such that only the outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed for ion processing. The mask assembly of claim 10, wherein the bracket comprises: a body; a central opening formed through the body; and an extension arm extending from the body, the extension arm including a vertical a support wall oriented to the body. The mask assembly of claim 11, wherein the mask comprises: a plate portion, wherein the plate portion is a solid, circular shaped piece of material that does not contain any openings, and wherein the plate a radius of the portion is less than a radius of the wafer; a radius of the plate portion is smaller than a radius of the wafer; and a mounting portion extending from the plate portion, wherein the mounting portion is directly coupled to the support of the extension arm wall. A method comprising: providing a platen coupled to a rotatable assembly of a platen, the platen configured to hold a workpiece; providing a bracket attached to the rotatable assembly; and positioning the mask adjacent to the a pressure plate, wherein the mask is directly coupled to the bracket, and wherein the mask covers the pressure plate and an inner portion of the workpiece such that only an outer circumferential edge of the workpiece is exposed for ionization deal with. The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining a center of the mask and a center of the workpiece; positioning the workpiece between the mask and the platen, wherein the The center of the plate is aligned with the center of the workpiece; and the exposed outer circumference of the workpiece once the center of the mask is aligned with the center of the workpiece The edge performs ion treatment wherein the workpiece and the platen rotate relative to the mask and the carrier during the ion treatment. The method of claim 14, further comprising using an imaging device to verify alignment of the center of the mask with the center of the workpiece.